Spring is in the air. How is your AC?

Are you getting spring fever yet? I can’t speak for everyone here at Ackerman Heating & Air, but I think it is safe to assume that some warm, sun-shiny days will be welcomed with open arms. Of course this is the time of year we can almost get by without heating or cooling our house. Just open the windows and Let the Fresh Air IN!

However, now is the perfect time to schedule an annual check-up to make sure your whole home is ready for those blistering summer days. Doing this before the summer months can be a real money saver. When your air conditioner is running at the top of its game it uses less energy to cool your house. And the bottom line of that logic is: lower monthly utility bills. The average air conditioner running at peak efficiency will use up to 20 percent less electricity, plus the fact that it will last years longer.

Checking your cooling system early will reveal most small problems that could turn into major, expensive problems if they aren’t taken care of. Not just that, but if you take care of this in the spring then you’ll get ahead of all the people that wait until the first heat-wave to find out they need an HVAC service repair visit. That’s gives you the flexibility of scheduling a HVAC professional to come out when it’s most convenient to you. As you know, if you wait until later in the summer then all of the pros are booked for days even weeks.

So we invite you to give the friendly staff at Ackerman Heating & Air a call at 410 404-8247 or use our online form to request a tune-up and safety check.

Would you like to check out your air conditioner yourself? Here are some basic tips for that you as a homeowner can do. (If you are renting or leasing your home, we highly recommend not getting personally involved but rather contacting the landlord to get your system checked out.)

If you turned your system off for the winter, then first make sure the outdoor unit is not covered up with a tarp, or even a pile of leaves. This unit needs to have good airflow on all sides and the top in order to keep cool. So clean obvious obstructions such as newspaper, leaves, bushes, etc. from around the exterior of the unit. Most outdoor units need at least 18-inches on all sides.

A thoroughly cleaned air conditioning unit will operate at top efficiency. But we respectfully ask you to not try cleaning it out yourself with a hose and water. There is a risk of electric shock from the components inside. But an even more like outcome is damaging the delicate coil fins and causing bigger problems than just a dirty coil. Contact a trusted HVAC professional if you want to be sure the coil is clear and free of dirt and debris.

Be sure all access panels of both your indoor and outdoor unit are secure, with all the screws in place.

Next turn on the breaker or main power switch for your AC, and then (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT)... WAIT at least 8 hours before you turn your system on. This is to make sure that there is no refrigerant in the compressor before it is turned on. Please follow this step to avoid critically damaging your unit.

Change the air filters in your house regularly. Dirty filters restrict airflow, reducing the efficiency of the unit. But even worse, if they are not replaced for several months it can cause the indoor coil to ice up and potentially cause irreversible damage to the compressor. If you use disposable filters we recommend replacing them monthly. Your electrostatic or electronic filters should be regularly washed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If your thermostat has a switch to go from Heat to Cool mode, be sure you have it set to Cool.

After you are sure the power has been on for about eight hours then turn your thermostat to cool and get the system running. It is better to run it for 10 to 20 minutes now, when it is still mild outside, then to not use it until the first swelteringly hot day and realize it is dead in the water!

Need to ask someone a quick question? Visit our Contact Us  page and get a quick answer from our resident expert.